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With Your Rule
Tithing Norms?
Hi Holly,
I have another question for you! While tithing has always been a given for my husband and I, I have started to get a bit confused about what the Church teaches re: its practise. What is the Church's actual position re: tithing? Right now, my husband and I tithe 10% from his paycheck (I'm a stay at home mom), but I read somewhere recently that you should tithe before taxes and not after; also, I thought 10% was almost an obligational (or at least the recommended) amount for Catholics but when speaking about it with other Catholics, they seemed to say that the percentage is totally arbitrary. Is there a precise teaching to refer to, or is this an issue that is rather vague?
Labels: 1st P Prayer
posted by Holly at 10:44 AM
1 Comments:
The Catholic Church does not set any specific amount or percentage for tithing - it is Protestant denominations who insist on 10% of gross income. In Catholic teaching, there is an obligation to support the financial needs of the church, as well as care for those less fortunate than us. This is a principle-based giving not an obligatory percentage.
My husband and I tithe about 10% from the 'monies' which actually enter our house! So if we get gifts, paychecks, royalites - we put aside 10% of that - and contribute it toward the building up of the church in whatever way a need is manifested.
In reality, we consider Philip's gross paycheck a 'virtual' paycheck- we don't really earn what it says we do! He has at least 33% of his pay removed in taxes and dues before it even hits our home. So, for us, we agreed to just give based on what we receive in real terms - from all sources.
You might want to check out this article: (hopefully you won't have to re-type in the address...)
http://www.catholicexchange.com/vm/index.asp?vm_id=6&art_id=24482
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